"Hiku, no fair!" the little boy shouted up into the tree, his brown hair flopping into his face. "It is too fair!" The other replied, swinging his legs cheerfully as he took a bite of the apple he had plucked. "I don't know how to climb a tree," Eros wailed, sitting down in the dirt. One of his knees was skinned from an earlier adventure. "That's your fault," Hiku giggled, taking another bite. Apple juice trickled down his chin.
"Play nice, boys," Mrs. Yamashita called, and Hiku pouted. "Mama, Eros can't get into the tree! It's not my fault!" he protested. "Then help him up," she suggested, taking a sip of the drink their robo-butler had just brought her.
Hiku sighed, tossing the remainder of his apple into the grass before climbing down. "Here, let me show you, Eros," he said, tugging on the other boy's sleeve. He perked up immediately. "Okay!"
~~~
They were ten, Hiku on a brand new, fancy bike, with Eros chasing behind. A small, flying watch-bot hovered over them, making sure Hiku didn't fall off. "Can I try?" Eros asked eagerly, and the other slid off his bike and handed it over without another word. Eros mounted it unsteadily, a belt fastening itself around his waist and his feet, securing him to the bike. "Wait, Eros! The helmet!" Hiku called, standing on tiptoe to fasten it around Eros's short hair.
"There," he said. "Want a push?" The Greek nodded, and Hiku placed his hands on the small of the other's back. "Here we go!" Eros let out a small scream as he was pushed down the hill.
Suddenly, he swerved to the side with another small scream. The watch-bot tore after him, followed by Hiku. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh," he chanted, eyes wide as blood dripped down Eros's left elbow and chin. "Ow," he groaned, as the watch-bot pulled a miniaturized first-aid kit and dabbed antiseptic on the cuts. "Wow, are you okay?" Hiku asked, scrambling to pull the safety belts away from his friend. "Yeah, I think so," Eros replied, taking the proffered hand and standing up. Already, the cuts had started to heal, with the help of the micro-antibacterials that the watch-bot had implanted.
The bike hadn't been touched again.
~~~
They were fifteen when Hiku first asked Eros on a date, red coloring his cheeks. They ate at a seafood place, and Hiku had kissed Eros on the cheek after that. "Thanks for an excellent night," he said with a smile.
As he turned into his house, Eros wondered how he ever became so lucky.
~~~
YOU ARE READING
Bruises
Romance"The house was pathetically small. Eros glanced down at the slip of paper in his hand, frowning. Is this where Hiku lived now? What happened to the mansion of years gone by?" Two young men, both fighting for their lives in a dystopian-era world, des...
